Nicholas Kristof's Secret to Packing for International Reportage

Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof has raised awareness about the global struggle for gender equality. He's also sort of a nerd when it comes to his iPod playlist.

Through his New York Times reporting and his book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, Nicholas Kristof has raised awareness about the global struggle for gender equality. He's also sort of a nerd when it comes to his iPod playlist. Meet the man who made our list of 2012 Visionaries.

What’s in your travel survival kit?

I carry a couple of tourniquets in case I get an arm or leg blown off. I also have a decoy wallet, so that I can respectfully hand over my wallet if a child soldier with a large gun demands it.

What are a few myths you’ve shattered through your travels?

Instead of myths, how about issues that I helped put on the map? I think I played a role in gaining more attention to Darfur, to obstetric fistula, to maternal mortality, to sex trafficking, to women’s rights generally, and to the crisis in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan.

What on your playlist when you travel?

I’m embarrassed to say that when I listen, it’s to lectures from the Teaching Company. They have included "History of WWII" and "History of the U.S." I carry an iPod nano. It takes up less space.

How do you define action?

Doing something that actually makes a difference on the ground; meetings and speeches don’t count.

What’s your life goal?

To be able to look back on my life, at the end of it, with pride and satisfaction.

How do you define success?

Leaving our planet a bit better than it was when we inherited it.

What’s your mantra?

Double-check. Then triple-check.

Why should we all take action?

Take a modest investment in time or money. With that you can watch a TV show, or buy an extra coffee a day. Or you can transform people’s lives. Seems pretty obvious which has a higher return.

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Nicholas D. Kristof has raised our consciousness about the struggle for gender equality and forced us to look at injustice around the world.